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House of Xenakis
The House of Xenakis is the royal house of the Empire of Strios, and has ruled uninterrupted since the empire was founded four hundred and fifty six years ago. The house claims to be descended from Ketyx, god of light, and asserts that they rule through his will. A majority of rulers from the dynasty have been humans, though there have been exceptions such as Valkoris the Bastard, a half-elf. Heraldry and Symbols The sigil of House Xenakis is a silver eagle in front of a dark blue sun. Because of the great influence of the house, dark blue has come to symbolize royalty throughout the empire. In addition to its official heraldry, the house is often represented by the High Throne and the Talon Crown. Background List of High Kings and Queens Alcaeus the Exalted (782 ADR - 865 ADR) Alcaeus the Exalted was the first high king of the Strian Empire, and the founder of the House of Xenakis. He inherited the rule of the relatively small Kingdom of Strios from his father, who had plunged the nation into debt and allowed the surrounding kingdoms to chip away at Strios's borders. To recover this debt, Alcaeus invaded the prosperous Valia. Later he would conquer the kingdoms of Ostelux, Prailor, Raekoris, and Xol, reportedly because of a vision from the gods telling him to unify the globe under one empire. Alcaeus would not live to see this ambition fulfilled, as he was forced to spend the rest of his life crushing insurrections in the kingdoms he had conquered. He died in 865 ADR at the remarkable age of one hundred and fourteen, leaving behind peace in what had previously been petty, warring states. Many believe that after his death he ascended to the etheric plane as a god. Kyrillos I (865 ADR - 877 ADR) Kyrillos I was the youngest of Alcaeus's four children, and thus few anticipated that he would take the throne rather than one of his older siblings. However, his oldest brother had died, and the other two were considered unfit to rule, with one confined to an asylum and the other bedridden. Kyrillos himself was already in his sixties and did not wish to be High King, preferring his relatively quiet life with his family to court. It took great pressure from the Grand Council to convince him to take the throne, and even then he did it with reluctance. Despite never wanting the crown, he wore it ably, funding public works that bettered life for many. Notably among them was installing plumbing networks in major cities, which revolutionized sanitation in the empire. After his wife, Sybil Galvanti, died, Kyrillos fell into a deep depression. He would often stay in his chambers for days at a time, refusing to eat, and the emerge as if nothing had happened. These instances became more frequent as time went on, and after a year of it he abdicated the throne, leaving it to his daughter Xandra. He lived the rest of his life in a luxurious estate in the countryside, where he was frequently visited by his children, and he died at the age of eighty one. Xandra the Brave (877 ADR - 916 ADR) Xandra the Brave was the middle of Kyrillos's three children, and assumed the throne at the age of twenty eight after her father's abdication. She had already distinguished herself as a capable warrior, attaining the rank of First Legate in the legions and inspiring absolute loyalty in her troops. Xandra used her extensive military knowledge to conquer the Grand Chiefdom of Qeglax, the Sovereignty of Krovus, and the city-states of Shoar Kascia, often leading campaigns from the battlefield, much like her grandfather had done. In addition to her skill as a commander, she was also a shrewd diplomat, taking spouses from the nations she conquered as a method of placating them. She was married to Grand Chief Yamarz Grobonok of Qeglax, Duke Taron Uldaro of Krovus, and Archduchess Kathri Vel of Shoar Kascia simultaneously, and these marriages were incredibly beneficial for the empire. This began the tradition of taking multiple spouses among the nobility, typically a few to forge alliances and one for love, though this was not always the case. Kyrillos II (916 ADR - 921 ADR) Kyrillos II's reign was short and uneventful. He had a great enjoyment for the finer things in life, frequently throwing lavish parties in his family's honor, and supposedly spent more time in brothels than the palace. He was also a patron of the arts, funding artists with gold from the imperial treasury rather than from his own pocket. He died at the celebration for his fortieth birthday after drunkenly falling from his balcony, though some historians posit that he was pushed, and his younger brother took the throne. Melanthios I (921 ADR - 948 ADR) Melanthios I took the throne after years of ruling the empire through Kyrillos II, keeping it from collapsing while his brother embarrassed the royal family. The people needed a strong leader now more than ever, and Melanthios delivered, conquering Atril, Voskine, and Yakir. This finally united the entire continent of Tedra into the Strian empire, a goal that had been sought after for more than a hundred years. He is also responsible for growing the empire's navy from a few dozen ships to a massive armada of hundreds, and he is considered to be the father of modern naval warfare. Pelagios (948 ADR - 951 ADR, 957 ADR - 959 ADR) Pelagios's rule was completely dominated by the War of the Three Eagles, which began just months after his coronation. He is the only high monarch in history to have his reign be nonconsecutive, split in half by the six years he spent in exile after being forced to relinquish the throne. In the first years of his rule he was considered well-meaning but ineffectual, but in the years following his exile he was incredibly cruel and paranoid, executing all descendants of Kyrillos II as well as any noble he suspected of not supporting him. He was poisoned by his sister Philona, who had been trying to steer him in a better direction for years to no avail. She was then executed for his murder, destroying the immediate chain of succession and passing the crown to Calandra, a distant cousin descended from Alcaeus the Exalted's oldest son Leontis. Straton the Usurper (951 ADR - 957 ADR) Straton the Usurper, as he is popularly called, was in actuality the rightful High King of Strios. He was the only legitimate son of Kyrillos II, and thus had a stronger claim to the throne than Pelagios. Straton started the War of the Three Eagles to reclaim his birthright, deposing Pelagios in 951 ADR. He ruled for six years, all the while Pelagios was figting for his throne. Pelagios eventually won the war, sacking Braxholm and winning the Talon Crown. Straton and his allies were executed for treason, despite surrendering. Valkoris the Bastard (951 ADR - 957 ADR) Valkoris the Bastard was the illegitmate son of Kyrillos II, and Straton's chief ally during the war. He was noted for being much more charismatic than his half-brother, and was the driving force behind the successful siege of the capital. Valkoris ruled as co-High King with Straton, marking the six years that they held power as the only time in history where there has been more than one High Monarch. He was assassinated by his own guards, who had been bribed by Pelagios. His death caused Straton's supporters to lose faith in the war effort, with many troops deserting. Within a few months, Straton had lost the throne. Calandra the Redeemer (961 ADR - 994 ADR) Calandra the Redeemer inherited an empire on the verge of collapse, and brought it back from the brink. Everyone despised the royal family; commoners for starting the War of the Three Eagles for petty reasons and doing nothing to recover the debt from the war, and nobles for the mass executions Pelagios had been responsible for. Revolution seemed inevitable, until Calandra created the Council of the Ennobled and the Council of the Common. The people took this as a sign that she cared about what they had to say, and her popularity soared. She spent the majority of her reign repairing damage caused by the war, especially Braxholm, which had been the center of many battles and was in ruin. When she died, the empire was more cohesive than it had ever been, and the effects of the war that had killed hundreds of thousands were no longer visible. Calandra II (994 ADR - 1009 ADR) Calandra II ruled much like her mother, focusing on strengthening the empire rather than expanding it. She is best noted for her social reforms, such as abolishing the death penalty, as well as her devotion to Illuminism. The Radiant Cathedral, the largest church in the empire, began construction during her rule, and is considered one of her biggest accomplishments. She was deeply opposed to violence in all forms, which put her at odds with the military. They wished to return to the glory days of expansionism, and considered her weak for refusing to go to war. Eventually, they threatened to start a coup. Rather than give in to their demands and compromise her morals, she abdicated the throne. Hypatia I (1009 ADR - 1030 ADR) Hypatia I ruled with an iron fist, rolling back many of her predecessor's reforms, and deposing vassal rulers that opposed her. She quickly won the support of the military, using it to conquer a number of overseas territories. She also supported exploration, sponsoring a number of voyages in search of new trade routes. Ochesius the Martyr (1030 ADR - 1038 ADR) Ochesius the Martyr is remembered not for how he ruled, but for how he died. He was captured by cultists from Sarvaxia that tortured him for a year, and then sent his severed head to the Grand Council. This enraged the empire, and caused them to invade Sarvaxia. Hypatia II (1038 ADR - 1051 ADR) Hypatia II invaded Sarvaxia, seeking vengeance for the death of her half-brother. She utterly crushed the nation, replacing its government with officials from Strios, unlike other conquered nations that were allowed to retain their own rulers. She forced Sarvaxia to pay substantial reparations, and then used those funds to invade other nations on the same continent. Loxias I (1051 ADR - 1068 ADR) Calandra III (1068 ADR - 1093 ADR) Calandra III's reign was extremely tumultuous. She believed that the empire should be culturally homogeneous, and forced the kingdom's she controlled to adopt Strian traditions. This caused her to be viewed as a tyrant, especially in places like Ostelux that were the most effect by her Strianization efforts. Riots and other strife became common, until the Stonewrath Rebellion sparked in the last few years of her rule. Loxias the Unready (1093 ADR - 1096 ADR) Loxias the Unready took the throne when he was thirteen, and as his epithet suggests he was not ready for the position in the slightest. Antikles the Swift (1096 ADR - 1127 ADR) Calandra IV (1127 ADR - 1136 ADR) Melanthios II (1136 ADR - 1159 ADR) Melanthios III (1159 ADR - 1171 ADR) Hermia the Fair (1171 ADR - 1194 ADR) Calandra V (1194 ADR - 1198 ADR) Calandra fell gravely ill early into her reign, and thus the Grand Council ruled in her absence. They used their unchecked power to benefit themselves, passing laws that made them exempt from taxes, and chipping away at powers previously held by the High Monarch. She eventually succumbed to her illness, having hardly ruled at all. A popular conspiracy theory in the empire posits that she actually died a few months after she took the throne, and that the Grand Council covered up her death for years so that they could remain in power. Evandros (1198 ADR - 1207 ADR) Evandros was a weak-willed ruler, and had little political knowledge. Easily manipulated, he quickly became a puppet for the Grand Council. They used him to continue to expand their own influence, severely damaging his reputation and turning him into something of a laughingstock. He eventually committed suicide, leaving behind a note that only said "I'm sorry". Melanthios IV (1212 ADR - Present) Melanthios IV was thirteen years old when Evandros died, and didn't assume the throne until he was an adult. Determined not to follow in his father's footsteps, he replaced all previous members of the Grand Council. To further consolidate his power, he dissolved the Council of the Common, and greatly reduced the Council of the Ennobled's power. These actions have proved to be controversial, especially among the nobility. In recent years, he has been desperately trying to keep nations from rebelling against the empire. This effort has met with little success, and it seems as if revolution is on the horzion. Current Line of Succession 'Melanthios IV (born 1194 ADR) ' # Crown Prince Garion, Duke of Cevell (born 1196 ADR) # Princess Alcandra of Cevell (born 1222 ADR) # Princess Agapia of Cevell (born 1223 ADR) # Prince Alcaeus of Cevell (born 1225 ADR) # Princess Castianera, Duchess of Koston (born 1197 ADR) # Prince Lukos, Duke of Larizar (born 1199 ADR) # Prince Nikomachos of Larizar (born 1223 ADR) # Princess Maiandrea, Marquise of Pherian (born 1199 ADR) # Princess Callandra, Countess of Mallaza (born 1218 ADR) # Princess Anais, Countess of Ialera (born 1220 ADR) # Prince Kristos, Duke of Hadral (born 1175 ADR)